Momma’s Angel

I’m Free! September 30, 2005

I am finally finished with the yucky, pervert owner/boss from the gym! He has absolutely no people skills, and it inappropriate with women and kids. ICK! And now I can concentrate on talking to people who may actually listen when I speak. I couldn’t run away right after because my boss, Tracy had promised lunch and though it was as much as I expected (left over pizza plus sandwiches and salad) the food was good and I wasn’t hungry when I needed to get a couple groceries on my way home. One of the other women I’d worked with (she left for another job) visited and they gave me a nice gift.

But now I can do or not do whatever I want. I’m also finished in case we leave sooner than later.

Ugg September 28, 2005

It isn’t fair. Why does it have to be so difficult to move to and just plain live in the US? It’s easier to stay here. It’s expensive all right, but with those high taxes, insurance and health care is so much easier. It doesn’t make being away from home easier. This stinks. I’m just also tired of dealing with this. Though even once we make a decision, we’ll still be dealing with it.

Major Differences

While talking about our decision to stay in Norway or leave, we seemed to build a catalog of differences between the two countries.

I was thinking only about all the things necessary for a move. This taught me how single-minded or purpose-driven I can be. I’m convinced I can get everything together in a short period of time, just leave it to me. I’m not working in October so I have plenty of time for rest and planning. Tim however worried about all the things that will build up for doing once we hit land in the US. This created a catalog of differences.

(more…)

Power of the unborn September 27, 2005

Well, we did go to Vigeland’s on Sunday and even saw the really cool Museum that talks about and catalogs his extensive collection. But we didn’t go to the Forest. Tim and I weren’t up for it and it was pretty cloudy so we would not have been able to see the city from the moutains. We went home for a while, had tacos and went to see “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” which we all really enjoyed. I did what I could to be a good hostess.

With all the running around I got absolutely no rest this weekend so yesterday and today I’ve been nearly dead on my feet. I did take today off (after another great midwife appt - yay!) and just took a two hour nap that felt like a fantastic 3 course dinner.

Tim just spoke to his superior yet again about our “where do we live” situation. This time it was about “I want to work from home for the next year or I’ll be resigning.” C.K. said he needs time to talk to management (until *next* Tuesday8O) and in the meantime we’ll discuss what we’d need to get done before leaving, if it can be done and if there is a best answer. I either need to travel by the end of October (though BA would let me fly till I’m 36 weeks in mid-November) or stay here until the baby is born. Because of the differences in medical insurance between the two countries, there are definite benefits to staying but I give the emotional benefits more weight. Happy, stress-free momma’s-to-be have an easier time.

S/he isn’t born yet but holds a huge amount of power over what I do and what I want to do.

Tourists at home September 24, 2005

Today we once again had the opportunity to be tourists in our “own” town. Well, we live here so it is our town. The last time was while Tim’s mom and Howard visited in July. Yesterday Corri (Tim’s visiting sis) and I were supposed to go on a Palace Tour but found out the season ended in early September. We ended up walking around the palace and then downtown. Today the three of us were supposed to go on a Parliment Building tour but the season for tours had ended there also . Our information came from the Oslo Guide 2005 which is great but a bit confusing on the dates, etc. Before heading towards Parliment we stopped by a research show on the Old University grounds and even peeked inside the very attractive lecture hall. Corri took pictures and then we headed toward the harbour and walked around Akerhus Festning, the old fort.

After the fort, I “guided” us into a little nearby square which I’ve never visited previously. It had a really neat fountain with a sculpture that looked like the Addam’s Family’s “Thing.” I found my way into a little one-artist art gallery. The walls and floors were all white and perfectly displayed the really colorful paintings which featured mostly circles in various textures and sizes. May sound dull but I thought it was a cool find. Lunchtime loomed so we headed to TGI Fridays, a treat because it offers all the same dishes as the American locations.

We got took a short boat ride to Bygdøy to check out the Norsk Folkemuseum. In July we would have gone there but time and budget didn’t allow after visiting the Viking Ship Museum. We had managed to eat there and visit the gift shop but today we saw the whole thing, and it’s not small. There is an Exhibition Hall with various features. A “Norway in Denmark” exhibit documented in art the change from Denmark’s ruling Norway to the union with Sweden and Norway’s home-sovereignty in 1905, a folk art area had colorful antiques I wanted to take home, a traditional dress exhibit, paintings of reindeer (the indiginous people, Sami’s herd them), and themed photography rooms. The open-air museum has an old-town pharmacy, herb garden, bank and candle maker, a walking path through examples of several regions of Norway, plus an open-air theater and traditional Stav Church. The houses of the regions were pretty cool but there were too many. I suggested to Tim that they should have arranged the area with one or two region-specific houses because most looked so similar to those in another “region.” We got pretty worn out walking all over Norway.

It was definitley a worth-while trip. I do still want to see inside the Palace and Parliment but I’m not sure if I’ll have the chance.

Tomorrow we will show off Vigeland’s Sculpture Garden and make a short visit to the forest just north of the city.

Confidante September 20, 2005

I confide the most in Tim, Sara and Mom. I have people I enjoy seeing here but no close friends. I share the basics of my life with these people but they don’t know me, they don’t respond or listen in a personal way. It’s not their fault, it just often seems more like cataloging the things that are a challenge for us here. By telling friends here things that are going on, I’ve never felt the sense of relief that comes when you share something heavy with someone who loves you. I’ve never been one to have a huge group of friends. I think even people who do have such a regular group only confide deeply with one or two of those people. It’s my guess. Like I said, I haven’t ever had a big group so I wouldn’t know how those who do “operate”. I have always had a few people with whom I shared everything.

Thank goodness for the post and the internet. Starting my senior year in college while Sara studied in England we communicated often by email and since our graduations we have sent real letters back and forth. They have been such blessings to receive way over here. Tim is obviously wonderful and the best thing I have here. Mom and I talk regularly via AIM. Lately we’ve been sharing our frustrations. She can’t get some companies to operate as they should (school books not delivered and new doors never installed or even the order completed) and I have regular growing pains here. It isn’t just my belly which is growing and aches sometimes though she is the one mother I have spoken to speaks of pregnancy and motherhood in a way that suits me and my personality. Sometimes it is just so frustrating when my cheerful nature covers the pains of this particular growth and other mothers feel the need to let me know how hard it is. Maybe they think by my cheerfulness that I’m clueless. I know I’m not experienced yet but coming from a line of happy mothers and always wanting this myself, that gives some perspective and wisdom. I just can’t let it get to me. I know I can’t plan for everything and that often it will be very hard but that doesn’t diminish my happiness at all.

I’m grateful for the job and people who have helped get me out of the apartment. When I first joined the AWC and got my job (via the AWC flyer) I was so eager to get out and even appreciated the 30 minute train to and from work for the time it kept me out. It also often served to sometimes get me to walk around town because I was already out. At this time in my life though, I can’t wait to be surrounded by the people who know and love me!

I, Miss America September 18, 2005

As I expected, the IMA brunch this morning was way more fun that the AWC meeting with the older ladies. One of my peers and I agreed there is an amount of cliquishness. However she also recognized that those women our age span will also stick together and be the older ladies some day who may or may not spend much attention on younger ladies. That however would be following the norm that I don’t like and one of my reasons for not wanting to be on the Board as Secretary. It turns out that the point of the club is to hang out with American women and have fun. That’s all well and good but I think it would be even better to offer support to the younger/newer women. When I came here I didn’t know anything and it would have been nice if a more acclimated woman had gotten in touch with me and invited me places.

That’s kind of where IMA came in. The ladies are in my age range, and the longest resident has been here 7 years, not 20! There are monthly brunches around town and activities we arrange ourselves that are far more interesting than those with the older ladies. Today we met at a new cafe in my neighborhood. I’ve discovered a new source for croissants and chai! Yum. I want to go back because they have a decent size menu too.

Xanga, no more

Welcome to my newest website! All the previous posts have been copied from the Xanga site I’ve been using the past week. Yes, I wrote all that in one week. I’ve got time on my hands. That could very well change in three months but I’ll do my best to keep it up. Maybe you’ll want to hear how things have changed, motherhood and all. Yikes!

Mumbo Jumbo September 17, 2005

I must revise my previous statement. According to Tim, the programmers who write the online mumbojumbo often take shortcuts in ways that will allow sites and such to work with only IE. If they did it the “right” way, which may not be much harder, and tested websites on other browers, I could stick to just using Opera. However, as IE is a standard brower, the meat-heads don’t bother testing for usability elsewhere. Stinkers.

Ugg - IE

There are many things the Opera web browser does not allow. In this case it’s been cheating me on seeing seeing Old Navy. Now and then I’ve been “forced” to revert to IE for some things and I JUST discovered I can see ON from IE!!! AAAHHHH!

I was so sleepy earlier and now I can’t fall asleep.